On the surface this is our first episode on the textile, clothing and footwear industry in Pakistan. The industry is major player in the country’s economy, contributing significantly to exports and employing more than half of its workforce. And in this interview with labour rights expert Khalid Mahmood, we cover capabilities, challenges, cotton production, wages and improvements in factory safety.
But there's a bigger story here - one about history, and who gets to tell it; politics, power and democracy; and what happens when the latter fractures, or is captured by the military, for example, and how all this impacts on freedom of association, social justice and workers' rights. How do you organise in the face of that? Why should you, what are the stakes? There's a personal story woven through this too: Khalid went from driving a taxi to heading up a leading NGO. Also up for discussion: what to do as an ambitious person when conventional routes seem closed to you, the power of creative thinking and the secret to loving your work.
We hope you enjoy the latest from our series on workers' rights, produced with Clean Clothes Campaign. Don't forget to listen to the previous episodes you may have missed.
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